Udvum and Gulmer
by MaceWindovahkiin117
Summary: The dragon egg that Eragon gave to the dwarves finally hatches, choosing the first dwarf Dragon Rider in history.
1. Chapter 1

Udvum was no match for the Urgal he faced. He wasn't nearly as strong, tall, or tough. The only advantage Udvum could boast was speed. In these games, though, speed wasn't sufficient. He was a dwarf of the clan of blacksmiths, Durgrimst Ingeitum. The king of the dwarves, and every dwarf king before him, was of Durgrimst Ingeitum. Even the legendary Dragon Rider Eragon was of Ingeitum. If Udvum lost now, he would bring shame to his clan and the dwarves as a whole. He had already watched, with some guilty satisfaction, as this very Urgal had torn apart two dwarves from the clan Az Sweldn rak Anhuin, his rival clan. They were the most violent, evil clan. Their very name meant The Tears of Anhuin, who was a great dwarf god. He hadn't the slightest idea how he would beat the Urgal, for he was much thinner than the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin dwarves. In fact, Udvum was as thin as a human, an might be called one if he was a few dozen centimeters taller. As it was, he was well above a meter and a half high, which was tall for one of his kind. Even at his young age, his dark brown hair had migrated down his face into a close beard. He was one of those dwarves who kept his hair short, keeping it about shoulder-length. Now, as usual, it was tied back in a short ponytail with a red strip of cloth. Both the hair and the cloth swung a bit to the left as Udvum circled his opponent. Both men were equipped for battle. The Urgal wore a thick leather jerkin over a bare chest, and steel greaves over woolen pants. In his hands was a long two-handed mace that could crush a dwarf skull in a single stroke. Udvum wore a bit more protection, for he didn't have thick Urgal hide that could deflect such a monstrous weapon. He wore steel bracers over leather gloves, a light but strong chainmail shirt that hung to the middle of his thighs, light steel shoulder plates, and steel greaves over his padded leather leggings. All of his armor was made to deflect and block strokes from blades and arrows, but none would be able to withstand a straight-on stroke from the Urgal's mace. Udvum held two war axes, which he could use with speed and precision unmatched by any opponent he had ever faced. Of course, he hadn't yet started fighting this Urgal. On Udvum's back was a third axe, this one double bladed and longer-handled. It was a battle-ax, used with two hands for sweeping, crushing blows. Now though, he didn't think he would be able to use it.

Suddenly, and without the usual growl that Urgals displayed before a strike, Udvum's opponent charged at him, dropping the head of his mace toward Udvum's head. The dwarf ducked to the side, smacking the Urgal's ribs with the flat side of one of his axes. The Urgal's eyes widened, but he turned quickly. This time, Udvum attacked first. The Urgal blocked Udvum's first axe, but his second was already arcing up toward the Urgal's neck. He switched his block to the second axe, leaving the first one to slash his bare arm. Dwarves outside the arena suddenly cheered loudly. At the sight of his own blood, the Urgal roared, and swung three swift attacks at Udvum's head. He blocked all three, alternating axes, but had to give ground. Once the three attacks were over, Udvum swung a feint at the Urgal's head, then used his other axe to strike under the Urgal's guard. The point of the axe bounced off the Urgal's bottom rib, but would still be a painful wound. The Urgal was very angry now. He swung the haft of his mace up and it smacked into Udvum's jaw. He reeled back, already feeling the bruise that would soon form. The Urgal pressed his advantage, breaking his mace in half so he could effectively use it with one hand. Udvum found himself defending desperately, against not only the now-one-handed mace, but the broken off haft. Eventually, the Urgal grew tired of taking ground and swung much harder with his mace. Udvum managed to block it, though, and the head of the mace snapped off. Now the Urgal only held sticks. He swung hard and fast still, taking more and more ground. Udvum realized that unless he attacked, he would lose. He waited for one of the sticks to be swung at his left side, and crossed his right hand over to it. He hooked the bottom of his axe under the stick and brought it back to his right. Now the Urgal's arms were tangled, and with a swift downward strike, Udvum disarmed him. Then, just as swiftly, Udvum brought his other axe up and pressed it against the Urgal's neck.

According to the rules of the games, Udvum had to give his opponent the chance to yield. "Do you yield?" he asked in the common tongue.

"Never!" the Urgal said. Udvum didn't like it, but the Urgals seemed to. Had he yielded, Udvum's opponent would have carried shame with him for the rest of his life. Udvum reluctantly prepared to strike down his opponent. The crowd had gone deathly silent. Suddenly, the Urgal's hands shot out, snatched away both of Udvum's axes, and threw them. The fight was back on, but now without weapons. The Urgal threw four rapid punches at Udvum, who dodged two and blocked one. The fourth landed under his ribs, driving the breath out of him and knocking him over. As the Urgal prepared to strike him down once and for all, Udvum picked up one of the Urgal's sticks, slamming it into the back of his opponent's knee. It buckled, and he fell backward. The Urgal also picked up a stick, and Udvum had a brief flashback to the mock combats he had participated in to prepare for the games. They exchanged a flurry of blows, until Udvum managed to disarm the Urgal again. He then dropped his stick and pulled himself up to the Urgal's shoulders. From there, he grabbed the Urgal's horns and asked a second time.

"Yield?"

To which the Urgal answered once again, "Never!" And Udvum snapped his neck. Both the dwarves and the Urgals cheered, the dwarves for their victory, and the Urgals because their warrior had been killed honorably, in open combat, by a worthy opponent. Udvum stepped out of the ring, where one of his clan handed him his axes. He smiled as all of the present members of Durgrimst Ingeitum pounded him on the back and congratulated him. This victory had won the games for the dwarves, although Udvum hadn't realized it until then. As the dwarves prepared to leave, an Urgal approached Udvum. He kept his hand on his axe, but the Urgal stopped and lifted his head. It was, Udvum knew, the Urgal equivalent of bowing, for a bow was to offer the Urgal's horns and was considered a threat. Udvum waited, and the Urgal spoke.

"I am Nar Garzhvog." Udvum recognized the name as the lord of the Urgals in this area. "I wish to offer my congratulations for your victory."

"And I thank you, Urgralgra." Udvum said, using the Urgal term for Urgal. He nearly bowed his head as well, but then raised his head as Garzhvog had done. Garzhvog smiled at the dwarf's understanding of his culture, then turned and walked away. Udvum mounted his Feldunost, a large goat, as large as a horse, native to the dwarves' home: the Beor Mountains. The rest of the dwarf company did the same, and they all spurred their mounts to the south.

The next two weeks went by in a blur for Udvum. They rode south, breaking twice a day to rest, across all of Alagaesia. When they reached the Beor Mountains, the dwarves were all happy after spending all that time in the Spine and on the road. They went through the tunnels, and Udvum resumed his work as a smith, first repairing his axes and his armor, then making things for other dwarves. Then, one day, he received summons from King Orik. He immediately closed down his smithy and rushed to the throne room. He had asked for a presence with the king as soon as he had entered Farthen Dur. He came before Orik, and realized for the first time just how threatening the throne room was. Stone busts of earlier kings stared at him from either side. Guards were sprinkled among them, and they too stared at Udvum as he passed. At the end of the long room was a carved stone seat, on which was the great King Orik.

His black hair and beard were showing bits of gray, though Udvum knew he wasn't terribly old. Across his chainmail-clad lap was the ancient hammer Volund, and upon his head was the crown of the dwarves. On the arm of his throne was a bundle of red velvet, and though Udvum thought he knew what it was, he couldn't be sure. When he reached Orik, Udvum bowed low. Even as Udvum was straightening, Orik spoke.

"How did it happen?" Udvum was confused. Orik raised an eyebrow and elaborated. "Why is Durgrimst Ingeitum in a second clan war with Durgrimst Az Sweldn rak Anhuin?" Udvum grew even more confused.

"We are, grimstnzborith?" He asked, using the dwarf term for king.

"Well," Orik said, "you should know, for the grimstborith of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin tells me that you're the reason."

"The clan chief said what? Thardsvergundnzmal, grimstnzborith! Az Sweldn rak Anhuin grimstborith thardsvergundnzmal!" A fraud, king! The Tears of Anhuin's clan chief is a fraud! "I'm sorry." Udvum was disappointed in his outburst.

"So he's lying?" Orik asked. Udvum nodded vehemently. "I thought he was. This..." Orik paused as the velvet bundle beside him rocked. When it stopped, he continued. "As I say, this needs to be..." The bundle rocked again. "This needs to be resolved at once. If..." A squeak sounded, as if someone were grinding stones together. The bundle was still rocking, even as the squeaking persisted. Finally, it stopped. "That's odd. Never happened before..." Orik muttered. "Anyhow, this needs to be resolved immediately. If Az Sweldn rak Anhuin is allowed to be swarming the Beor Mountains telling everyone that we're in a clan war-!" Orik's voice had risen considerably, and they almost didn't hear the bundle start rocking again. This time, it stopped immediately. Orik looked at it, as if saying, _are you quite finished?_ then opened his mouth to speak again. Then, suddenly, Orik's face lit up. "Step forward!" He exclaimed, beckoning to Udvum. "Come on, step up!" Udvum took a step toward the throne. As soon as he did, the bundle began to rock and squeak more violently than before. By the time Udvum reached the throne, the sounds of the rocking and squeaking dominated the throne room, and Orik had caught the bundle from falling off the throne several times. Suddenly, the rocking stopped. The squeaking stopped. The bundle stopped. Then, a crack, like someone shattering a branch against a mountain. Another, and the velvet bundle was ripped from the inside. A few minutes passed, everyone staring at the bundle. Then, out of the tear in the side emerged a fiery orange dragon. Its eyes were the first thing Udvum saw. They were like burning coals, piercing and bright. The scales on its back and legs were next, bright as the magma under Farthen Dur. The scales on its belly were a softer orange, and looked a bit yellow. When the dragon spread its wings, Udvum saw that they were like those of a bat. Long orange fingers extended from the main limb, through an almost transparent, though still bright orange, membrane.

The dragon looked around, eyes darting from one thing to the next. When it spotted Udvum, though, it stopped and stared. After a few seconds, it pounced off the throne toward him, spreading its wings and gliding down to his feet. Then, to Udvum's surprise, it climbed up his trousers, hung on his belt, and then jumped to his left hand. When it made contact, a wave of heat and cold and pain and pleasure ran through his entire body, and he leaped backward. When he looked at his hand, there was a small oval of silvery skin.

"Silver hand..." he whispered in awe. He lowered his hand and looked at the dragon. It looked back at him expectantly. Slowly, Udvum lowered the barriers around his mind that he had spent so many years perfecting, and reached out with his mind. When he made contact with the dragon, he felt a surprisingly intelligent consciousness, completely open to him. When he tried to communicate, though, the dragon didn't seem to understand. In return, the dragon sent Udvum a series of images. One image managed to capture the concept of infinite waiting. The second image was actually a feeling, the feeling of Udvum's own mind. The third was the same, only stronger, and the fourth image was the knowledge of someone being close by. The last image was a combination of the third and fourth, a feeling of extreme happiness, and the desire to escape... something. The dragon then hopped forward again, and Udvum recoiled. The dragon persisted, though, and managed to climb Udvum's clothes again. It settled on Udvum's shoulder, and looked at Orik.

The king had been watching in awe, and a single tear had creeped down his face. "You... you must go to Du Weldenvarden. You can use Az Ragni," he said, using the name of a river on the eastern border of Alagaesia. "or you can use a Feldunost." King Orik gathered himself, and his voice grew steady. "Meet with Arya, the queen of the elves, and she will train you as a rider. She will then send you east-" Orik's voice wavered again, and another tear rolled down his cheek. "Say hello to Eragon for me." And Orik weeped freely, waving Udvum away. He marched out of the throne room, a bit confused at the king's reaction but happy about the new development in his life.

Udvum decided to use Az Ragni to get to Du Weldenvarden, as he had traveled by Feldunost-back for long enough. He used a flat wooden raft with low walls, one sail, and four oarlocks. Once again, time sped by quickly for Udvum. Before he knew it, the dragon had a basic understanding of words, and could hunt rats and moles along the side of the river. After several days, the raft reached Hedarth, a small town at the point where Az Ragni flowed into another river, the name of which was unbeknownst to Udvum. By then, the dragon was too large to sit comfortably on his shoulders, but was still only about as tall as his knees. The crew of the raft spent two nights in Hedarth, for they would need rest if they were to row upriver. When they set out again, Udvum's dragon wasn't with them. He was a bit worried, but the dragon could fly easily now and Udvum was confident it could find its way back. The next day, it did. It was just a bit larger than Udvum remembered, but he couldn't be sure. When he reached out and touched its mind again, as he always did when they were close enough, the consciousness was suddenly and overwhelmingly male. Udvum asked him his name, and the dragon replied with a feeling of uncertainty.

 _How about Hrothgar?_ Udvum asked. The dragon sent him a negative feeling. Udvum went through Orik, Thodr, Vuldr, Olgan, Duam, and Scaud, but the dragon didn't like any. Finally, Udvum looked down at the dragon, and he knew. _Gulmer?_ he asked.

 _Of course,_ the dragon replied, as if Udvum should have already figured that out.

By the time the raft reached the edge of Du Weldenvarden, about a week later, as the raft had to go upriver, Gulmer was as large as a newborn horse. At the edge of the monstrous trees, the raft stopped suddenly. Several elves dropped from the branches and approached the raft.

"Who are you?" One asked.

Udvum answered before anyone else could. "Udvum, and my dragon Gulmer, here to see the elf Arya for training." The elves looked at him with contempt.

"Well, unless you allow us to examine your mind, we cannot allow you to pass." The elf said.

Instantly, Udvum put up his long-developed barriers around his mind, leaving them open only enough to maintain contact with Gulmer.

 _Perhaps you should let them_ , Gulmer suggested, _otherwise we'll never be trained properly._ Udvum had to agree, but lowered his barriers cautiously.

"Fine," he said. A gentle mental probe entered his mind, a strangely musical presence that sifted though his thoughts and memories with practiced efficiency. When it was finished, Udvum felt dizzy.

"You may enter," the elf said. The raft rowed away from the trees again, towards an immense lake far upstream. When the raft crossed it, the river turned back into the trees. The raft followed the river, still rowing slowly upstream, floating further into the woods. Finally, they reached a waterfall, and the dwarves told Udvum to step off the raft. He hopped to shore, and watched as the raft allowed itself to flow back downstream with the river. Gulmer flew to the top of the waterfall, and Udvum followed via a path. The path led around the lake, and when it ended, Udvum found himself in a town. It was made of wood, and filled with elves. A few approached them.

"Who are you?" One asked. "What's a dwarf doing in Silthrim?" Udvum glared at him.

"I'm the dwarf Rider, here to see Arya." The elf bristled.

"That's Her Majesty Arya, dwarf! Or perhaps, if you knew any of our language, Arya Drottning."

"Well," Udvum said, "if you're not going to take me to _Arya,_ I'll go to her myself." The elf flushed. Udvum pushed the group aside and began to walk through the town. When he saw another elf approaching, he frowned and his eyebrows met.

"Hello." The elf said, surprisingly friendly. "I suppose you're Udvum, the Rider with- Ah, yes." The elf saw Gulmer. "Well, if you'll follow me, I can take you to Arya- Her Majesty, sorry." And the elf turned and strode away. Udvum had to jog to keep up, while Gulmer glided from tree to tree, looking for all the world like a living forest fire. After several dozen minutes, the elf realized how hard Udvum was breathing. "I do apologize," he said, stopping. "Allow me to summon some steeds." He whistled, and two majestic stallions emerged from the trees. He first hauled Udvum into the saddle, or lack thereof, then mounted his own steed.

"Here can be your first lesson in the language of magic. You won't be casting spells, mind you, these are just commands for the horse. Simply say 'fram' to tell the horse to move forward, 'aptr' for back, and 'blothr' for stop." As he spoke, his mount walked forward, then back, then stopped.

Udvum hesitated, then spoke. "Fram." The horse began to trot forward, and the elf's did the same. The elf said 'fram' again, and his mount sped up to a canter. Udvum did the same, and soon they were moving by the league. After a few hours, they stopped in another town and ate, then set off again, this time to the west instead of the north. When they reached their destination, Udvum didn't know it. His guide said 'blothr,' and his horse slowed to a stop, but Udvum kept going through the trees. Then he noticed something different. How the flowers and the trees seemed to uniform, the path too straight to be natural. Then he realized what he was seeing, even as Gulmer did the same.

 _The trees-_ Gulmer said.

 _-are the buildings!_ Udvum finished. And indeed they were. Now that he knew it, Udvum noticed windows, roads, doors, stairs, and even the occasional elf wandering the city. Suddenly, the most beautiful woman Udvum had ever seen strode out from between the buildings. She was dressed in a large red robe over green and brown clothing, and had a staff in her left hand. On it sat a white raven, who would occasionally croak at Udvum. On her hip was a green sword, through and through. The sheath was a wooden dark green affair, and the handle was of the same color steel. The hilt was wrapped in green wire, and an emerald sat in the pommel of the weapon.

"Thank you, Arzor, for showing Udvum to Ellesmera. You are excused." The newcomer said. Udvum's guide dismounted, motioning for him to do the same, and their mounts rode off into the trees. "I am Arya." The woman addressed Udvum now. "If you'll accompany me, we can begin training." And she strode off to the north. Udvum followed, and they soon emerged in a large clearing. At the far edge was a cliff, reaching down for leagues until it hit a sea of more trees. At the right-hand edge of the clearing was a wooden hut, and in the middle was an immensely large pile of leaves. Udvum looked on the pile with surprise.

"Is this where you put all the leaves in Du Weldenvarden?" He asked seriously. Arya laughed, a beautiful, musical sound that made Udvum's fingertips tingle. Udvum was confused, but he persisted. "Or maybe they're just the ones from Ellesmera?" Arya smiled again, then it faded.

"You do not know what that is?" And as if on cue, the pile of leaves lifted its head and looked at Udvum. He jumped back, and understanding dawned. This was Arya's dragon. It stood, and Udvum saw the whole of the beast. It was green, and had the same color pattern as Gulmer, but its head was as big as Gulmer's entirety. It had long spikes running from the base of its head to the tip of its tail, and spikes jutting from its jaw and brow as well. Gulmer only had stubs there. It also had long claws and teeth, which were once again immense compared to Gulmer.

The orange dragon swooped down toward the larger one, and it looked up in return. Gulmer landed on top of the green dragon's head, and a quite amusing picture was created. Udvum laughed, and Arya smiled. Then she turned to Udvum.

"The first thing that needs to happen," she said, "is for you to be tested. Then you will get your Rider weapons, and we will train. Then, when you're ready, you can set out to the east to join Eragon and Saphira, and _then_ you'll see a large dragon."


	2. Chapter 2

Udvum looked around the clearing. There was a stump in the middle, but other than that it was simply a forest clearing.

He was two months into his training, and they had been spent quite productively. The only time he had been able to rest was at night, and sometimes not even then. He had sparred with Arya, doing what she called 'improving by experience,' built his bond with Gulmer, learned how to make a dragon saddle two different ways, learned how to do a fairth, learned magic, and gotten his brightsteel Rider weapons. His axes were called Solusrisa and Soluseitha, which meant sunrise and sunset in the ancient language. When Udvum had asked the esteemed smith Rhunon to craft his axes, she had refused.

"I swore never to make another Rider sword!" She had said. Udvum had looked at her then, and told her simply, "I'm not asking for a sword, I'm asking for two axes." At which point Rhunon had asked him many questions, and crafted his axes accordingly. The finished product was amazing, though the axes were simple. They had orange iridescent brightsteel blades, one each, and slightly curved handles wrapped in orange wire. They had wooden hafts, but they were made of the same wood as Arya's sword's sheath, so they were quite practical for a permanent weapon. They had orange topazes in golden pommels, and each had a golden ring above the handle. All in all, they were orange and gold masterpieces. Rhunon told him something else, though. When she had asked him how he fought, he had said either with two war axes or one battle-ax. When the axes were finished, Rhunon had said they could be combined. She said he need only say 'gath,' and the two axes would be fused together into one battle-ax. Separately, they were Solusrisa and Soluseitha, but the one battle-ax was called Solusbrisingr, or Sunfire. She had said that this would be useful if someone was trying to target one with magic, for he need only combine them and Solusrisa and Soluseitha would no longer exist, so their spell would either fail or kill them.

After that, his training ran quite smoothly. Now, he was in this clearing after being asked to listen to the forest. So, he plopped down onto the stump and reached out with his mind. He felt a flood of consciousnesses, each one different from the last. Even beings of the same species felt different. He could feel flares of pain, pleasure, hunger, satisfaction, thirst, death, birth, heat, and cold, from everything around him. He didn't focus too clearly on one thing, for that would be unproductive. In Farthen Dur, he had often sat in large chambers and simply listened, never focusing on anything more than anything else. He had learned a lot from this, realized that rocks move, and countless other things. He did the same now, listening and watching every consciousness with equal vigor and focus. After several hours, he realized how long he had been sitting and made his way back to his hut. Arya had given it to him as a home until he joined Eragon in the east. She was waiting for him, but the dragons were off training on their own. Udvum had been listening through Gulmer's ears and watching through his eyes even as he had studied the clearing, as Arya had told him to. Now, both he and Gulmer knew what the other had done, how they had done it, and what was going through their minds at the time.

"What did you learn?" Arya asked him.

Udvum looked at her. "Well, some rodents were eaten by a snake, expressing great fear while they were swallowed, some beetles climbed all the way to the top of a very large pine, some falling, some being killed by..." And Udvum explained everything that had happened in and near the clearing in the past few hours. Arya looked impressed when he finished.

"Have you ever done this exercise before?" She asked.

"Only in large chambers in Farthen Dur." Udvum answered. Arya nodded. She then gave him a flat stone used for a fairth and told him to make one. He crossed to a pine tree, looking up and down it, then backed up and sat on the ground. The tree was now at the extreme right of his vision, and he could see the sunset near the center of his vision. He whispered the spell he had been taught, and the whole image was captured in great detail. As Udvum looked back over his work, he noticed that there was the dark silhouette of a dragon outlined perfectly against the sunset. He looked up and saw Gulmer and Arya's dragon, Firnen approaching. When they landed, Firnen touched Udvum's mind. For the next half an hour, Firnen quizzed Udvum on what Gulmer had learned, and Arya quizzed Gulmer on what Udvum had done and learned. They answered every question with relative accuracy, although the distance had distorted certain points in time. After the quiz, Arya told them to take a ride. Then she had contacted Gulmer alone, and Udvum knew not what she had said.

Udvum mounted Gulmer's saddle, at the base of his neck, and tightened the leg straps on it. Gulmer took off, and they sailed out over the cliff. Udvum had a moment of disorientation as he saw the drop, but recovered quickly. The sunset accentuated Gulmer's orange color until he seemed to glow. Suddenly, Gulmer began twisting, turning, diving, spiraling. At first, Udvum was surprised and was allowed to be jolted around. After a second or two, though, he righted himself and stayed steady in the saddle with practiced ease. Then, a red dragon flew from the trees far below, and a black-clad Rider sat atop him. The dragon was much bigger than Gulmer, and the Rider obviously much more experienced. Udvum pulled his axes from their loops on his belt, Solusrisa in his right hand and Soluseitha in his left. The red dragon flew like an arrow toward Gulmer, who pulled up and flew overtop. The Rider tried to cut at Gulmer's underside, but the orange dragon was too high up. Gulmer twisted around, now chasing the red dragon, and flew with his superior speed to overcome the other dragon. He flipped over, so Udvum was closer to the red dragon's Rider, and Udvum swung his axes at the other man. One was deflected, but the other got through. The other Rider dodged the second, just in time, and the dragon brought its head up to bite at Gulmer's neck. Gulmer bowed his neck out of the way and bit the red dragon's head, one of his teeth sinking into the dragon's eye. Gulmer then flipped back over, so he was flying upright under the red dragon. Udvum felt a constant flare of pain for his dragon as the red dragon's claws sank into Gulmer's chest. Udvum untied his leg straps and leaped from Gulmer's back, grabbing the red dragon's tail. He then took a risk, throwing Solusrisa at the dragon's left wing, even as Gulmer scratched at the right. Udvum then shouted, "Gath!" and Solusrisa appeared next to Soluseitha, fusing itself with the other weapon and forming Solusbrisingr. Udvum chopped the red dragon's tail at the half point, and fell with one of the pieces. Gulmer swept under his falling Rider, and Udvum landed perfectly in the saddle. The two dragons flew side-by-side, but the red dragon had some difficulty what with its missing tail and broken wing. Udvum jumped onto Gulmer's wing, and the other Rider jumped onto the red dragon's wing. A blood red sword was in his hand, and he swung it savagely toward Udvum. He took the strike on the gut, but managed to cut off the other Rider's leg. He tumbled from the red dragon's wing even as Udvum chopped it off. The red dragon, missing one wing and the other broken, tumbled from the sky, unable to catch himself, let alone his falling Rider. For the entirety of the battle, Udvum wondered why the two hadn't had consciousnesses he could examine. When Gulmer caught him again, the two flew back to Udvum's hut in the clearing. Arya and Firnen took in the blood, scratches and cuts on Udvum and Gulmer, and immediately rushed to them.

"What's happened?" Arya asked. Udvum quickly explained.

"Gulmer tested me in my ability to keep up with his maneuvers, and a red dragon flew from the trees below and attacked us. On its back was a Rider with a red sword. We had a few passes, and Gulmer bit the dragon's head. Then he broke its wing, and I cut off its tail. Gulmer caught me, and we flew side-by-side. I fought the Rider, managed to cut off his leg and make him fall. Then I cut off the dragon's wing and they both fell. The whole time, I tried to overpower their minds, but I couldn't find any minds." Suddenly, all of the pain and wounds on Udvum and Gulmer disappeared.

"It was a test." Arya said. "If you must know, they were an illusion of the missing dragon and Rider, Thorn and Murtagh. The test was to see if you could beat a rider of equal skill but greater experience, and a dragon of equal skill but greater size. Of course, they are in reality of superior skill, but what kind of test would that be, eh? The most important thing, though, was that you noticed the lack of consciousnesses. That can save your life. Illusions don't have minds. You passed the test, and you should sleep. Go ahead." Arya gave him no time to process the information, but simply walked into Ellesmera, and Firnen flew away. Udvum walked into the cabin, and climbed onto the bed inside. He fell asleep thinking of what would have happened if the _real_ Murtagh and Thorn had attacked.

The next day, when Arya approached Udvum, she didn't start with any training. Instead, she saddled Gulmer. "I've taught you much, and you will return to me, but you need to learn more about your weapon of choice than I can teach you. I'm sending you to a friend of mine. He uses a hammer, but axes and hammers are of the same style and he will be able to teach you some of the finer points. I trust you know where the Spine is?" Udvum nodded. That was where he had gone for the games with the Urgals. "Then go, and find the valley in the north of the Spine. I'll send ahead and have him light a beacon for you to land." Udvum mounted Gulmer and flew off to the west.

They spotted the valley two days later. There was a fire lit on a tower, and Gulmer dove toward it. He landed in a courtyard in the middle of a castle, overlooking a town in the deepest spot of the valley. When he dismounted, Udvum found a strong bearded man with a hammer in his belt standing a few meters away.

"Greetings, Udvum. I'm Roran Stronghammer. Are you ready to learn how to fight?"

Roran taught Udvum everything he could, and by the end of his combat training, Udvum was twice as skilled with his axes. He still couldn't beat Roran regularly, though. Even after Udvum completed his training, he stayed in Palancar Valley another month. His days were spent sparring with Roran, riding Gulmer, practicing magic, and getting fit. After the month was up, Roran decided that they would spend an entire day sparring, for Udvum may have to spend a whole day fighting at some point. About a third of the time, Udvum was able to beat Roran, but the rest Roran won. At the end of the day, Roran approached Udvum.

"You can use magic, yes?" Roran asked. Udvum nodded. "Do you know how to teach me? Eragon tried, but it didn't work." Roran picked up a stone and said, "Stenr reisa!" but the stone didn't move. Udvum tried to remember how Arya had taught him to use magic. He hadn't thought himself able at the time.

"Do you know how to reach out and touch someone else's mind?" Udvum asked.

"Yes, but how-"

"Then try reaching out with your mind, but don't look for anything living. Look for something that isn't a consciousness, but a presence." Udvum advised. Roran closed his eyes, reached out with his mind, and touched Udvum's. Udvum pulled away, and sent Roran an image of ignoring living things. Soon, Roran's face lit up.

"Now cast your spell." Udvum said quickly.

"Stenr reisa!" Stone, raise! And the stone resting in Roran's hand shot up half a meter into the air. Roran opened his eyes, saw the stone floating above, and laughed. Udvum had never heard him laugh before.

"You may want to drop it. It's got to be draining your energy pretty fast, inexperienced as you are." Roran looked angry for a moment, then understood.

"Yes, yes." But the stone didn't drop. "How-"

"Retreat back into your own mind! Break contact with the magic!" Roran did. Finally, the stone fell back into his palm and he slumped to the ground.

"You're a wise man, Roran." Udvum said. "Once you know without doubt and with absolute certainty that you can hold the stone aloft without being completely drained of energy, try something else." Udvum found a slightly larger stone than Roran had lifted, and said, "Stenr reisa!" The stone lifted steadily two meters into the air. Udvum looked around, then said, "Ganga fram!" Go forward. The stone moved a few meters away from Udvum, before he said, "Ganga aptr!" And the stone came back toward him. Then, "Thrautha!" Throw. The stone flew two dozen meters and clattered into the wall of the castle.

"Once you know that these spells won't kill you, try them. After that, find a torch and tell it 'Brisingr,' and it will light."

"Thank you, Udvum."

"And thank you, Roran." Udvum walked to the room he had been assigned and fell asleep.

The next day, Udvum flew back into Du Weldenvarden to find Arya. After a league or so of flying, Gulmer had to land and walk past the wards that gave The Warded Forest its name, and then they flew off again. When they landed in the clearing on the Crags of Tel'naeir two days later, they found that Arya was already there with Firnen.

"Kvetha, ebrithil," Greetings, master, Udvum said.

"Kvetha, Udvum-vodhr." Arya replied. "Are you prepared to join Eragon in the east?" Udvum frowned.

"I am not ready, ebrithil." He protested.

"Then let us test you again." Arya drew her green sword Tamerlein and attacked Udvum. He drew Solusrisa and Soluseitha just in time to block the sword. He wasn't nearly as fast as any elf, let alone a Rider elf. He ended up defending desperately, never able to land a counter. Suddenly, he had a flashback of a time like this, fighting an Urgal. He had been uttering phrases in the ancient language for the entirety of the battle, and now the edges of his axes were protected and he wouldn't wound Arya. When the time was right, Udvum hooked the edge of Solusrisa around Tamerlein and buried the point of the weapon into the ground. He then stepped through with Soluseitha and leveled it next to Arya's throat. There had been a time when Udvum wasn't fast enough to do that against an elf.

"How did I do that?" he asked.

Arya produced a mirror from somewhere. "See for yourself." Udvum looked in the mirror and gasped.

His face was thinner than he remembered, as thin as a human's. His eyes were a bit more angled than he thought, and had turned from gray-green to the bright forest green of Firnen's scales. His blocky dwarven nose had turned into a thin, delicate affair. His hair and beard had darkened, verging on the deep, midnight black that many elves displayed. The most surprising change, though, were his ears. What had once been typical, almost flat-topped dwarf ears now sported short, rounded tips. They weren't the long, dagger-like points that Udvum had seen throughout Ellesmera, but shorter and softer, as if he were a half-breed.

"I-" he stuttered, "I'm an elf!"

"No," Arya laughed, "you're a Rider. All Rider's go through a similar transformation, whether dwarf, human, or urgal. The transformation has already enhanced your speed and strength considerably, and will continue to do so until, in a few months, you are the equal of an elf. When you meet Eragon, however, he will speed up the transformation so that, instead of a few months, the process will be complete in a few hours. In fact, you'll be accompanying me to meet Eragon right now." With that, Arya mounted Firnen. Udvum remounted Gulmer and they both took off. They passed over Du Weldenvarden extremely quickly, faster than Udvum had ever flown Gulmer before, and they reached the edge of the woods before the day was over.

 _Did you notice that I looked like an elf?_ Udvum asked Gulmer. He snorted, and, to Udvum's surprise, fire flew from between his teeth.

 _Of course I did._ Gulmer's mental voice had gotten deeper as his physical size had increased. He was now as large as Firnen had been when Udvum had first beheld him, whereas Firnen had nearly doubled in size. Udvum reached out toward Firnen's mind, and asked him the same question.

 _I noticed much during your time training. Your transformation was hardly foremost._ Udvum spent a few seconds processing the answer, and when he did, he reached out for Firnen's mind again.

 _What was foremost?_ he asked.

 _How quickly you came from being unable to use magic to a quite adept magician._ Udvum cocked his head.

 _How quickly was that?_ he asked.

 _Quite. Especially when compared to how slowly Eragon learned magic._ And Firnen rumbled deeply and loudly in what Udvum could only imagine was a laugh. When sunset came, Gulmer and Firnen started to angle downward and slow down. When they were close enough to the ground, the two dragons reared up and flapped hard, landing as lightly as possible.

When they made camp, Udvum noticed that Arya had pulled out her mirror again. She whispered a scrying spell, and Udvum could see another elf in the mirror. Udvum heard the name 'Eragon,' and the words 'dwarf Rider,' and finally the words 'on our way. I left Bodrorm in charge.' Udvum fell asleep shortly after, knowing that they would probably meet Eragon the next day.

I fact it was two days later when they spotted Eragon. He had flown from his Rider fortress on the legendary Saphira Bjartskular, named for her bright scales. At first Udvum didn't see them, for Saphira's blue scales tended to blend into the sky at that distance. Then he saw what appeared to be a bluejay flying toward them, and he had reached out with his mind in order to calm the bird once it saw the dragons. What he felt, though, was no bird. Even at the distance they were at, Udvum felt an immense presence, bigger even than Firnen's mind. Near and around and within that presence was a second, and though it felt like an elf, it didn't have the strange musical property that elves' minds did. The blue shape in the distance had sped up, then, and soon Udvum saw the great size of Saphira Brightscales. She was twice as large as Firnen, which made her at least four hundred meters in length. On her back was an elf, or at least he appeared to be. When Udvum touched his mind again, it was distinctly human, though his transformation seemed to be complete. When the huge Saphira reached them, she turned and flew alongside.

Udvum attempted to communicate with Eragon's mind, but he felt a flurry of words and images between him and Arya, so he decided to wait. Firnen and Saphira were communicating as well, and Gulmer was just as hesitant to come between them.

 _What do you think they're talking about?_ Udvum asked of Gulmer.

 _I caught something about two eggs between Saphira and Firnen,_ his dragon replied.

 _Aye, I felt the same between Eragon and Ebrithil Arya Svit-kona,_ Udvum said, using both the ancient language word for master and an ancient language honorific for a wise elf woman. After a few moments, Arya laughed and Firnen roared with delight. Soon, a fortress came into view, made of stone and steel and gems. Outside the structure was a town, also made of stone, that looked big enough to house giants. As the three Riders drew near, Udvum realized that it was in fact large enough to house dragons. The fortress itself was large enough that several hundred Saphiras could fly inside with room to spare. Each structure in the town was large enough for two dozen dragons could fly easily. Udvum could walk into any of the doors and the top of the doorway would be a hundred meters above his head. Both he and Gulmer were so awestruck that they didn't notice that Saphira and Eragon were trying to contact them. Finally, Udvum heard four shouts in his and Gulmer's minds.

 _UDVUM!_ Arya and Eragon shouted.

 _GULMER!_ Saphira and Firnen shouted.

 _Yes, Ebrithilar!_ Udvum and Gulmer replied.

Eragon spoke to Udvum personally. _Arya tells me you trained with Roran. How is my brother?_ At first, Udvum was surprised at the realization that Roran and Eragon were brothers, but then he recovered.

 _Quite well. He is an exceptional warrior and will make a fine magician._

 _Magician?_ Eragon seemed confused.

 _Aye. Magician. I taught him to tap into the flow of magic. He lifted a stone a meter into the air last I saw him._ Udvum sent Eragon the memory of Roran's success.

 _I tried to teach him myself..._ Eragon was grateful and disappointed at the same time. _You have my thanks, Udvum-vodhr. I should like to see his progress myself at some point. And Orik? How is his Majesty doing?_

 _He possessed quite confusing feelings the last I saw him. Gulmer hatched for me, and he wept. He sent me with his greetings. Is it true that King Hrothgar adopted you into Durgrimst Ingeitum?_

 _Aye, Udvum. That he did._ Eragon suddenly stiffened. _Something's near. A dragon relative. A Deloiblaka!_ Eragon said. Deloiblaka meant earth-flapper, but Udvum had never read about or heard of something like that. Suddenly, a brown dragon struck Gulmer in the chest, and he flew upward. Udvum looked down and saw that the dragon was covered in earth, and that there was a large hole in the ground below. The dragon wasn't a dragon, though, but rather a large brown bird of sorts. It had feathers instead of scales, but still had a long neck and tail. Its beak had jagged teeth sticking from it, and its tail had a barbed ball at the end. As Udvum watched, the tail flew up and wrapped around Firnen's tail, the barbed ball acting as a weight. When the Deloiblaka pulled its tail back toward it, Firnen was hurled toward the ground, spinning and lurching, trying to keep from hitting the turf. Udvum saw Saphira dodge a few strikes from the Deloiblaka before Gulmer's ascent slowed and he started to fall back down. Udvum tried his best to stay in the saddle as Gulmer spiraled out of control, and he realized that the orange dragon was unconscious. He sent images and words across their mental link, but nothing could get through to his friend. Finally, after Udvum sent Gulmer a picture of them slamming into the ground and dying, the dragon stirred. Udvum kept sending images and words, until Gulmer woke up. Just a dozen meters from the ground, Gulmer spread his wings and pulled back into the sky. Udvum let out a pent-up breath, looking around for Saphira and the Deloiblaka. He found them, flying side-by-side and spiraling around each other, each trying to gain the upper hand. Even as he watched, Eragon jumped from Saphira's back and landed on the Deloiblaka. He raised a blue sword into the air and it ignited with blue fire. Saphira turned over under the Deloiblaka and kicked at it, claws raking down its chest. In return, the Deloiblaka raked at Saphira with its talons. Saphira bit at the Deloiblaka's neck, and it was distracted completely from Eragon. Eragon started to swing his flaming sword, but the Deloiblaka flipped twice, and Eragon fell from its back, dropping his sword. Saphira was forced to disengage in order to catch her Rider, but the Deloiblaka followed her. By the time Saphira caught Eragon, the Deloiblaka was close enough to bite at her tail. She roared and spun around, letting the Deloiblaka slam into her. They bounced off each other, but the Deloiblaka's hollow bird-like bones let it recover more quickly. Udvum pulled out Solusrisa and Soluseitha, and began to loosen his leg-straps. When Gulmer was close enough to the Deloiblaka, Udvum jumped from Gulmer's back and up onto the Deloiblaka. When he was off Gulmer's back, the dragon flew below the Deloiblaka. Udvum ran along its length, yelled, "Gath!" and was soon holding Solusbrisingr. When he reached the creature's neck, he jumped from it, falling toward Gulmer, and chopping off the Deloiblaka's head as he went. Even as he fell, he shouted, "Vrangr!" and Solusbrisingr returned to Solusrisa and Soluseitha. Vrangr meant 'wandering,' and made Solusrisa and Soluseitha wander from each other. Udvum landed perfectly in Gulmer's saddle, with his axes at his sides and the Deloiblaka falling behind him. Udvum put his axes back in their wooden orange rings on his belt and tightened the saddle leg straps. Udvum then looked around, but couldn't see Saphira or Firnen anywhere in the sky. He looked toward the ground, but could only see Saphira, flying close to the ground while Eragon looked up from her back. Firnen was nowhere in sight, though. Gulmer dove toward the ground, leveled out, and landed in the long yellow grass. It was long enough that, when Udvum dismounted, the top of the grass was two meters above his head. He reached out with his mind, and felt a small, weak presence in front of him. He ran forward. He knew that it was Arya, for it felt exactly like her. But Firnen was missing. Udvum continued to run toward the consciousness, trampling and pushing and breaking grass, until he came into a large runnel that had been cut through the grass by something large. At the end, he saw Arya kneeling next to Firnen.

And he wasn't moving.


	3. Chapter 3

To Udvum's immeasurable relief, Firnen heaved a great sigh and began breathing again. Udvum ran to Arya's side.

"I've killed it. The Deloiblaka is dead." He assured her. She looked up. "I couldn't feel Firnen's mind. I thought-" He stopped, imagining how he would feel if Gulmer had died.

"I had to cast a spell and conceal his consciousness. If the Deloiblaka overpowered both of you it might've come back for him, helpless as he was." Arya stroked Firnen's snout and whispered to him. Udvum pulled out Soluseitha. The topaz in the pommel had a great reserve of energy, for he had added much and it had already had some when he got it. He tapped into the great pool and fed it into Firnen. When Soluseitha was empty, Udvum repeated the process with Solusrisa. Once both were empty, Firnen managed to stand and flap his wings. Arya turned to Udvum.

"He tells me this was your doing?" She asked. Udvum nodded.

"I gave him the energy from my axes." Arya bowed her head toward him.

"Then you have my thanks, Udvum-vor." The honorific named Udvum a close friend to Arya. Udvum nodded and turned back toward Gulmer. Suddenly, Saphira landed directly in front of him, and Eragon leaped from her back before the dust had settled. He rolled as he landed, rushing to Arya's side and speaking quietly. Arya smiled at his concern, but Udvum couldn't hear what she said to reassure him. Arya turned to Udvum then. "I must get back to Ellesmera. You have found Eragon and his Rider fortress, and Firnen needs to recover." With that, Arya turned and walked alongside Firnen back the way they had come. Eragon waved at her back, and turned to Udvum.

"It is time to begin your advanced training. Let us start with a test. Ward the edges of your axes, please." Eragon drew his sword and muttered in the ancient language. In a few seconds, they were both ready. Eragon struck immediately, and Udvum blocked it. Eragon struck again, and many times after, getting faster and faster with his strikes. Udvum defended, easily at first, and when he sensed desperation coming he tried to hook Eragon's sword with his axe. Eragon pushed forward with a stab, though, and it ended up entangling Soluseitha instead of Eragon's sword. Now Udvum only had Solusrisa to block the stab, and he barely managed that. From that moment on, what with Eragon's constant and rapid increase in speed, Udvum was forced into desperate, fleeting blocks that left no time to counter and barely enough time to bring up his other axe to block the next stroke. Soon, Udvum couldn't defend anymore. When he realized that his blocks would be ineffective, he began leaping from side to side, back and forth, and trying to counter every chance he got. After a moment of this, Udvum saw an opening. He struck at Eragon's exposed abdomen, but the man brought his blue sword up faster than even Arya had when she had sparred with Udvum. As his sword moved, though, Udvum brought his other axe forward, striking Eragon's left leg. When Eragon bent slightly with the impact, bringing his sword down in a late block, Udvum swung back in with Solusrisa. Eragon tried to move his guard, but he was a second too late. Udvum's stroke landed directly into Eragon's chest.

"Better than Arya said." Eragon rubbed his chest. Udvum nodded.

"Thank you, ebrithil."

"May I see your axes?" Eragon had moved a bit closer to Udvum.

"Of course, ebrithil." Udvum handed over Solusrisa and Soluseitha. Eragon looked them over.

"How did you convince Rhunon to make these?" Eragon asked.

"Well, she said she'd sworn never to make a Rider sword, so I told her I wanted axes, not a sword. She simply made them." Eragon smiled at some memory unshared with Udvum. Then he spoke again.

"Sunrise and Sunset, eh? Mine's Brisingr." When Eragon said 'brisingr,' the blue sword slid several centimeters out of its sheath, and blue fire ran along its length. It slid back into the sheath after a moment, the fire dying off. Udvum decided he might show off his weapons as Eragon had. He mouthed "gath," barely using his voice at all. Eragon didn't appear to hear the word, as he began to return the axes to Udvum. Suddenly, right before Eragon's eyes, Udvum's two rings on his belt turned to one tube on his back, and Solusrisa and Soluseitha turned into the longer Solusbrisingr. Eragon looked shocked, still holding Solusbrisingr out toward Udvum, but Udvum simply took the axe and slid it into the tube.

"And how'd _you_ get Rhunon to make it?" Udvum asked casually. Eragon looked at him blankly.

"What's happened, there?" Eragon asked. Udvum raised his eyebrow, then seemed to understand.

"Oh, that's Solusbrisingr. When I need a heavier weapon." Udvum then put his chin into his chest so Eragon couldn't see his mouth and reached back for Solusbrisingr. When he had it, he started to twirl it in his hand, mouthing "vrangr." As he twirled the axe, it turned into Solusrisa and Soluseitha, and he found himself twirling the axes into their rings on his belt. Eragon blinked several times.

"Was that Rhunon's doing?" He asked. Udvum nodded.

"And your sword?" Udvum asked. "How did _you_ get Rhunon to make you a weapon?"

"Oh, that's a long story."

"I've got time." Udvum started to settle down and listen, but Eragon interrupted.

"No, you don't. Let's get moving."

The two mounted their dragons, who immediately took off. Saphira had to slow down in order for Gulmer to keep up, but they still made good time. They landed in the fortress, and Eragon and Udvum dismounted.

"I see you've some combat experience, which is only natural as a dwarf of Durgrumst Ingeitum. You have much more to learn, still. It seems as though you flew through your combat training, but your magic needs work. You also split with your dragon too easily. You obviously need to strengthen your bond. The fight with the Deloiblaka was successful-" Udvum drew himself up and started to smile at the praise. "-but it was purely luck. Had you flown a few centimeters higher, you wouldn't have been in its blind spot, and it would have killed you and Gulmer." Udvum frowned. "Welcome to six years of advanced training, Udvum, Gulmer. I am proud of your advancements in what Arya had to teach you, although most of that was prior knowledge from your dwarf life. I will not resume from where Arya left off, but rather start again. I will teach you everything in much greater detail, and it will take nearly ten times as long for each lesson. I say again, welcome to six years of training. If you are not prepared, it will overwhelm you. If it does that, you will be sent back to Arya for beginner's training again. I will not tolerate an incompetent Rider. So I ask you, are you prepared?"

"Yes, ebrithil." Udvum already found himself with an irrational desire to make Eragon proud. It would hinder him, he knew, but he could not help it. "Yes, I am ready."

Eragon seemed unconvinced. "Hm." He spun on his heel and strode from the monstrous courtyard. He reached a keep of sorts, and turned back to Udvum. "Off to a bad start!" he called. Udvum started and ran after his master.

The next three years flew by quickly. It was all repeat of what Arya had taught him, and Udvum was quick to learn any additional points Eragon mentioned. Eragon sped up Udvum's Rider transformation, and gave him armor to match his axes. It was scaled, but more like a snake than a dragon. It was simple, light, and strong, and therefore easy for Udvum to fight in. Then, nearly at the end of those three years, another dragon landed. This one was a purple male, and on its back an Urgal.

Over the next three years of training, Udvum struggled. There were two reasons for this. Even three years superior, the Urgal had had much more prior knowledge, even of magic, which Udvum found strange. He seemed to surpass Udvum in everything, although Gulmer was quite superior to the purple dragon. The other reason was that Eragon was teaching new things and Udvum couldn't seem to succeed. Finally, at the end of Udvum's training, he had a final spar with Eragon. This time, Eragon didn't start slow.

Eragon swung quickly, and both of Udvum's axes moved in order to block. This time, Udvum dodged and blocked, countered, and lost. He was disappointed in himself, especially when Eragon told him that he would remain training with the Urgal in combat. The Urgal was named Vugnak, and he used a sword-staff called Vrilvindr, or Whirlwind. It was aptly named, for he used it by spinning it and moving forward. The battle was short, and Udvum realized that he was superior in battle to Vugnak, but he couldn't seem to use the extent of his skill.

After the year was over, Eragon tested Udvum again. Over the year, Udvum had learned to suppress his unnecessary emotions during battle, and managed to beat Eragon once before he was beat. Eragon let Udvum "graduate" this time, and spent two more years training Vugnak. Udvum practiced all of his skills during this time, and was still a successful and competent Rider by the time Vugnak was finished.

"There is something that needs to be done," Eragon said, pacing before Udvum and Vugnak. The two new riders leaned unconsciously away from each other, and their dragons uttered low growls every once in a while. "You two have finished your training, and now must be posted in Alagaesia in order to keep order and laws there. Udvum! You will be posted near Gil'ead, at a fortress built on Isenstar. Watch over that area. Vugnak, between Uru'baen and Dras-Leona. Good luck to both of you." As they left, Udvum heard Eragon muttering.

"Hope they're not killed by the Ra'zac."


End file.
